The Muslim ummah is befuddled with a number of problems, the intensity of which has attracted increasing response aimed at finding ameliorative effects. These problems which dimension varies from the political to the non-political have been adversely affecting the fortune of Muslims as they have been relegated to the rear in the affairs of humanity. A particular aspect of the problem, which is elementally political and non-political in nature, constitutes the focus of this article. Thus, within the backdrop of the ummah’s problems, this article will proceed to address what should be emergent concern and disposition of Muslim Youths to scholarship. 

Knowledge is the soul and the life of a living man as much as it is the livewire of a living society. When it is possessed in its true sense, man becomes empowered with the vigor that drives a society to greatness. Just like a balanced diet, a genuine knowledge provides man with the essential needs required to nourish a society. When a society is well nourished by true knowledge, then, it develops the necessary features needed for its rounded growth and hence, civilizational attainment. Also, such society would naturally develop the immunity that makes capable of containing all the treats which might adversely affect or stunt the corresponding growth inspired by knowledge. This, therefore, contends that what grows a society is knowledge and peradventure, that when knowledge is possessed with its rights, then, its manifestations, is the resultant growth which a society records intellectually, socio-politically, economically, militarily, and spiritually, when such knowledge creation enterprise is shrouded in religious values.

Possession of knowledge with its true rights means seeking knowledge not for its sake or monetary value, but, for the purpose of discovering the truth. Truth in this sense broadly suggests unearthing the obscured, discovering the unknown, critiquing the known and liberating man and its society from anti-civilizational undertakings. The reality of this, it was which, made the companions of the Prophet to commit their lives to the enthronement of a truly just order. The same spirit inspired the early Muslims as well, and so, the reasons why theirs was, a society where man lived and died in defence of the truth. The truth of the knowledge which they acquired and to which their lives were devoted, engendered their commitment and dedication to societal building, and the expansion of the frontiers of knowledge. This resulted into what is known as the Golden Age of Islamic civilization. The same spirit, when it exorcised the European community, which was earlier basking in the arroyo of ignorance, liberated the minds of those who were in true possession of true knowledge. In the consequence, not only did they liberate their society from feudalistic bondage, economic dislocations, but also, they unlocked the doors of knowledge, which in effect, played significantly roles in the shift of the sphere of influence from the Muslims towards their side. Until now, the effects of this exorcism are the innumerable contributions of the West to knowledge and their respect to what in their parlance, constitutes the rule of law.     

In a knowledge-deficient society or a society made up of individuals with defective or half-backed knowledge, the fate of such society, is analogous to that of a person suffering from malnutrition or under-nutrition. Such society will be prone to incapacitating diseases as its lacks the requisite immunity. To re-discover its optimal potentials, medication that requires strict compliance will be required, the violation of which may worsen the situation. This seems to be the case with the Muslim world. Intellectually, Muslim nations are about the most backward; socio-politically, they are worst of examples; economically, they posture as paupers; techno-scientifically, they are mere consumers, and militarily, they are preys to be fed upon at adversaries’ will. If knowledge is that which when possessed, liberates man and its society from all sorts of shackles, then, does it imply that Muslims cannot stand and pass the test of a genuine commitment to knowledge? Or is it that instead of producing true knowledge, we are churning out certificate carriers or glorified illiterates? Could it also be that our certificates merely worth its paper value as meal tickets? Answering these questions may require resort to logic and empirical inputs.

Faruk Salem observes that while, ‘the combined annual GDP of 57 OIC-countries is under $2 trillion, America, just by herself, produces goods and services worth $12 trillion.’ This simply suggests that the knowledge producing/manufacturing capacity of the whole of the Muslim world is by 84.32% less the productive worth of just the United States of America. It may also suggest that that most of those whom we have regarded as being educated may be mere pseuds donning the gab of the truly educated. However, it may be raised that Muslims’ inability to produce what they require owe to the crises of leadership. As valid as this claim could be, does it imply given good leadership, the predominant culture of learning in the Muslim world will trigger sustainable development and enhance our productivity? This may not be the case. If education is ‘the society ornament, and a companion which as Joseph Addison proposed, no misfortune can depressed, no despotism can slave,’ then, it seems more appropriate that our education is yet to produce the truly educated. If the leadership factor is that dominant, why is it that Muslims are unable to produce the books needed for the training of their students? Is it the leadership that is holding back the hands of our scholars in doing research and getting themselves published? How many of the books recommended for those studying Islamic studies are produced by Muslim scholars, let alone those required in other fields? How many of the graduates of Muslim owned institutes of learning have carved out niche for themselves in this contemporary time? Of what significance are the number of masters and doctoral theses we are produced in addressing the perennial problems affecting us? Why is it that our universities rely on their western counterparts to train and re-train those whom we considered as worthy educators? This illustrates the failure of Muslims to produce the truly educated and knowledgeable ones. It shows that instead of focusing on impacting true knowledge we might have been producing merely certificate holders, glorified scholars and pseuds whose abilities or performance cannot surpass the paper value of their certificates. 

The foregoing thereby indicates that hypocrisy has crept into how Muslims get themselves educated. Our higher places of learning as well the students may not pass the vote of confidence when subjected to the scrutiny of according knowledge its true rights. This raises the question of attitude, respect accorded the ethics and code of knowledge dissemination and acquisition, and ultimately, the truism of our commitment to the values of the religion. Since the future of any community is that of its youths, a change of attitude is therefore required of the hope of the ummah. The youths of Islam, especially those seeking higher degrees must begin to conduct a self appraisal of the worthiness of the slots given them to acquire higher degrees. Are you struggling to learn and still, doing a doctorate? Do you rely on others, assignment mill, scissors and paste, and generous lecturers to obtain the minimum requirements required to obtain the degree of your choice? How many times have you read books for the purpose of seeking knowledge and not for mere acquisition of marks? How many conferences have you attended for the sake of certificates? How often do you burn the mid night oil and get glued to the library reading seats, all for the sake of acquiring knowledge that can help in solving the crises of the ummah? How often do you contemplate the physical impact of your knowledge in addressing the ummah’s challenges?

Since the man in us will determine how far we can go in addressing the ills embattling the ummah, it is therefore instructive that rather than focus on mere acquisition of certificates, Muslim youths should prepare themselves for the business of true knowledge acquisition. Our commitments to doing this will surely bear positive attendant effects on how our problems and challenges can be addressed. By cultivating the right spirit towards knowledge acquisition, we won’t be bothered on the number of years spent to acquire a degree since our principal aim would have been to seek the truth and not the paper glory in a certificate. Such genuine gesture will also affect how we address our woes as an ummah and definitely, mark a decisive point in reversing our misfortunes.

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